In the Mist
by Niveus
Summary: Zuko is struck by lightning... literally. From the incident, he gains insight into the future and doesn't like what he sees. Every step of the way, he intends to fight for control but he didn't count on destiny packing a punch. Zutara
1. Struck By Lightning

**In the Mist  
**by  
Amber M.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the last airbender or any of the characters featured in this fun show. (smiles)So, please… put them lawsuits out of mind. (cowers)

* * *

Chapter 1  
Struck By Lightning

"Katara, can you come here for a minute?"

The waterbender blinked, her big blue eyes putting the stars to shame with their glittering beauty. Katara was beauty. Even dressed in a simple azure nightgown, she looked like an angel. Zuko refocused on her lovely round face before allowing his thoughts to sway elsewhere.

A small smile curled his mouth. It was the first time in a long while he felt happy, regardless of the yarns of nervousness knotting in his stomach. He reached out a hand and gently clasped Katara's cheek. She blushed and gave him a warm smile. It made him feel ever surer of himself in the life changing event about to take place.

"You mean a lot to me, more than the world, my honor… myself."

"But, Zuko—"

"Wait," he said softly, brushing his thumb over her lips. She hesitantly closed her mouth and he went on, "If I had one wish it would be to stay with you… forever. I don't know how long that is but… at least we have this life. I intend to make the most of it. Hopefully, you feel the same. Do you?"

She bit her lip a moment and nodded.

Zuko's smile got more life. He then extracted his closed hand from the pocket of his pants and opened his fingers before her, presenting a ring.

Katara's eyes widened as she saw it.

"Sorry for the lack of presentation. I don't really have much money…" he said with a slight waver at the end. It was the first it'd occurred to him that he was financially… lacking. Still, it wasn't as though hopping the continents randomly with the Avatar demanded immediate stability in that field. But what about _after _the Avatar's quest was fulfilled, assuming they all live through it?

The worrisome questions ebbed almost instantly as Katara spoke.

"Are you asking me…?" she said breathlessly, looking up into his eyes.

At first, Zuko felt his earlier knot of nervousness tighten more. He paused for a long moment, his gaze downcast to the ring in his palm. Finally, he gulped and met Katara's eyes. "Yeah…" he uttered lamely. The life in Katara's face seemed to deplete at his mistakenly _lukewarm_ reply. He fumbled and nearly dropped the ring before taking her left hand and poising it at her ring finger. "I'd like us to be joined officially…"

"Do you love me?" she whispered, her eyes becoming a little watery.

Zuko smiled at her. "Of course. Didn't you know?"

"I want… I want to hear you say it," she said, trying to sound resolute as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Zuko gently slid the ring on her finger, clasping her hand with one of his while the other reached up to wipe away her tears. He kissed her tenderly on the lips and…

* * *

"Uhg…" Zuko groaned as a mild throbbing in his head woke him. 

He opened his eyes to a hazy mix of shadows and sand. Soon as his vision cleared, he saw the sand was actually the beige interior of a tent and the shadows danced from a lantern set in the middle. Zuko found another occupant of the tent on the other side of the lantern. A woman, one he didn't recognize.

She was a woman in her forties with dark brown hair peppered with gray hanging in slightly unkempt waves down her shoulders. Her dark green eyes brightened up as she saw Zuko.

"Ah! You are awake!" she said, stating the obvious.

Zuko was confused. Where the hell was he? And what happened? The painful throbbing in his head barely faded and was actually almost outweighed by the burning static electricity feel flowing through his body. The last he remembered was being out in that thunderstorm… Oh.

"How do you feel?"

"Where am I?" he asked bitingly.

The woman cocked her head to one side. After a delay she seemed to nod in comprehension, and answered, "My tent! We're close to the road to Asamoya. Do you know where that is?"

Zuko was fairly certain he did. If he was right it meant he had to be a rather far ways from where he left his Uncle Iroh.

He gingerly pulled himself up to his elbows. His head protested with a kick but settled back to its throbbing tempo a second later. He opened his mouth to ask another question but he found a wet rag smacking into his face.

"Hey!" he exclaimed and sat up fully. The pain forced a growl from him and he automatically pressed a hand to his temple.

The woman made a ponderous noise. "Oh. I thought you would catch it. Sorry!" she said lightly.

Catch it? He clenched the wet rag in his lap with his free hand. It was cool, and he felt his head could use a bit of that so he pressed the rag to his forehead before glaring at the woman. She had her arms folded into the russet sleeves of her robe, an annoyingly perky smile on her lips.

"My name is Kenbo. And yours?"

"None of your business," he replied in a bitter undertone.

"Zuko, isn't it? Did you have a pleasant dream?"

Zuko's eyes widened. He slowly turned his head toward the woman but didn't speak. Up to the moment, the dream hadn't occurred to him. In fact, it might have even been forgotten but now…

"It was a little blurry, but there's no doubt your happiness was real… and lasting!"

"Make some sense," he demanded.

Kenbo closed her eyes in happy little arcs and chuckled inwardly. Then she shook her head and cleared her throat, opening her eyes again. Strangely, her eyes seemed to have white glowing rings amidst the green for a second. Zuko decided he probably imagined it.

"Listen, Prince. Although it is surprising, you… a socially awkward meanie… are destined to find your princess in the kindness of this young waterbender. Aww… the 'Beauty and the Beast'. That would make a divine little bedtime story, wouldn't it! But I suppose you aren't _too _beastly…"

"What! Listen to me, old woman—"

"My, what a temper. She will have her work cut out for her. Indeed!"

"Crazy hag! That's all you are, aren't you? I'm out of here," he said at last and went to standing up. It took a moment for his pain to adjust again, and he ruled out throwing the rag back into the crazed old bat's face as he now felt hotter from the ire boiling up in him.

Kenbo sighed. "It _will _happen, Prince Zuko. You _will _find bliss in the undying love of another. All you need do is have faith."

Zuko stopped at the tent's exit. "I suppose you think of yourself as a predictor of the future?" he muttered.

"Mm… Yes! That sounds exotic, doesn't it!" she responded cheerfully.

Zuko grunted. "Some Seer you are. If you could predict such things, you probably would've realized I'm no 'Prince' anymore," he said coldly and tore the flap open to escape to the dark outside.

Of course, Zuko still thought himself of that noble title but technically, his country would think him anything but a "Prince". As would practically everyone else. He pressed the rag to his head, mentally cursing that crazy witch for her absurdity, and walked off down the dark path to Asamoya.

With mild curiosity, Kenbo watched the canvas tent entrance flap in the breeze briefly before it closed her in again. She sighed, rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, Zuko, Zuko. You may seem hopeless but your fires have hardly died out."

…_**to be continued.**_


	2. Mist of Mourning

Chapter 2  
Mist of Mourning

"No, Momo! I already told you I don't have anymore snacks! Now, bug off," Sokka grumbled, prying the flying lemur off his back and setting her on the ground for the fourth or fifth time.

Katara and Aang merely exchanged looks and shrugged as Momo climbed on Sokka again to search his coat. They returned their attention to the well-stocked fruits stand next to them and checked their funds.

"I _think _we have enough for four cantaloupes this time," Aang speculated as Katara counted out the coins.

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it was generous of that traveling merchant to give us some coin."

"Well, it _was _pretty tiring pulling his mule-rabbit from that mudslide. Especially without Toph…" Aang flatly added.

Katara sighed. "Once again, the mighty earthbending Empress found reason to leave us in a jam… and with Appa, this time," she grumbled and started inspecting the cantaloupes.

"No, Momo! Stop it!"

Aang curled his hands into fists as he glared at the apples. "I don't get it… Why does she feel the need to rebel against us! What did we even do? Did we do something wrong?"

"Don't take it too seriously, Aang. Toph was just being Toph," Katara said absently.

"She was acting rude since this morning after that brief earthbending lesson. I did everything _exactly _as she said. I got angry enough, didn't I?"

"I… don't think Toph wanted you to be _angry_—not really anyway," Katara said slowly, giving Aang a slightly concerned look. She sighed and put down the cantaloupe as she saw Aang's somber expression and took him by the shoulders. "Remember what I told you? You're dealing with your opposing element, Aang. It's going to take a little time. But you'll get it, I know it. _You _just need to know it."

Aang looked up at her and tried a faint smile.

Katara nodded at him in reassurance and then returned to the shopping.

"Seriously! Someone get this monkey off me!"

"Toph was really getting in my face. I just assumed she wanted me to put anger into my bending," Aang said in a lighter tone as he juggled an apple and orange. "The whole 'twinkle-toes' nickname is getting a little old…"

"Oh, there you are, twinkle-toes."

The apple and orange fell to the ground with two thumps. Aang's expression went flat before he turned to face their forth companion, the earthbender, Toph.

Katara quickly made her purchases of a few varying fruits, stuffed them in a cloth sack and then focused her attention on Aang and Toph. She glanced down the dock briefly as a crash resulted from Sokka tumbling into a street cart, before Toph spoke.

"I hope you guys didn't have too much trouble getting to this place. The thing I had to do was _pretty_ important though."

Aang gave her a slightly suspicious look. "_'Pretty' _important, as in it wasn't actually crucial for you to take Appa away out of the blue?"

"Well, it looks like the shops will be closing up soon," Toph hedged with a casual shrug. "Do we have anymore things that need to be done before dusk sets?" She turned toward Katara.

Katara hesitated, watching Aang struggle with his frustration. "We need a few medical supplies…"

"Can't you use your waterbending to heal or is that reserved for talented waterbenders?" Toph said drolly.

Katara put a narrowed gaze on the earthbender. "Yes, I _can _heal wounds on the outside. But Sokka's catching a cold. We should also get a couple bottles of sage remedy, in case any of us contract that Redwood Disease. It's common in this area."

"You probably should if we're sleeping outside… _again_."

"What's wrong? Missing the life of royalty already?" Aang said cheekily.

Toph grunted. "Come on. Let's gather up that clumsy oaf over there—" (she inclined her head towards Sokka of course) "—and go set up camp. Katara can get whatever else we need quicker on her own," she declared, holding her hand out for the sack of fruits Katara had purchased.

"Since when did you start bossing everyone arou—Hey! Wait up!" Aang called after Toph, who took the sack and walked on toward Sokka, the water tribe warrior stuck in the cart he'd crashed into.

Katara walked after them for a bit before turning down another dock extending from the main one.

Asamoya was a small town sitting above an accommodating lake in the middle of a rich forest. Denizens got around along the wooden docks lining humble homes and shacks on the two market 'streets'. As the dusk slowly pulled down darkness, windows ignited in warm light almost matching the fireflies floating above the luminous waters.

Katara peered over the dock's guard rail to see her clear reflection rippling very slightly before focusing on her immediate task. She scanned signs either nailed in eye-catching view on the plank buildings or swinging out to catch a consumer's attention. A sign with green painted lettering read: "Ami Herbs: Pharmacy". She dashed into the store and quickly approached a circular table in one corner of the room where a young woman sat behind.

The woman smiled politely. "How may I help you?"

"Um, do you have sage remedy?"

"Yes, for ten copper pennies."

Katara let out a little sigh of relief. She dug in their little pouch of coins, withdrew twenty copper pennies and handed them over to the pharmacist. The woman took the currency in her slightly wrinkled hand, a hand that peculiarly seemed older than the woman's face suggested.

Dropping the payment into a small metal box and closing it shut, the woman conversationally said, "You're quite young, unless I have missed out on location of where the 'fountain of youth' is."

Katara offered a smile. "I'm traveling with my family."

"Ah, that's nice. I trust your travels have been fun?" the woman said and slid two bottles of reddish-brown colored paste across the table.

"Yes. There are ups and downs of course. Thank you for this," Katara said, picking up the two bottles.

"Do you have a bag?"

Katara gave her a nervous smile and shook her head.

The woman laughed warmly. "Oh, then here. Take this. They're easy to make and quite durable," she stated with a proud note.

Katara thanked her once more and then made to leave. Just before she did, the woman said, "I wish good fortune for you, young miss. Never stop smiling either."

Katara blushed in slight embarrassment but smiled none-the-less and then exited. She looked further down the dock, wondering if there were other last minute purchases that needed to be made. Deciding against it as their finances had depleted greatly in a few measly exchanges, she let out a little sigh and headed back the way she had entered Asamoya. Upon reaching the entrance, she only then realized she wasn't sure where the others set up camp.

It seemed like she barely took ten paces from the peaceful sanctity of the town before a dense fog settled in all of sudden. She could barely see beyond her arm's reach in any direction.

_Oh, brilliant, Katara. See what happens when you walk around with your head in the clouds? _she silently scorned herself.

Naturally, she started walking back toward the town but she walked for nearly five minutes and couldn't find it again. It became harder to push her panic down as five minutes became ten, and then minutes became an hour.

She restrained herself from running and calling out inanely. On their way to Asamoya, their group had spotted a few predators hunting in the woods. Heaven knows what might come running if she gave her position away. Twigs snapped beneath her feet and she jumped inches into the air, bumping back into a tree. She slid down and hugged her knees against a moist chill filling the air. If she waited a while, the fog was sure to thin out enough for her to find the road or signs of the town or her friends, she decided. Bottles clinked in the sack as they settled to the ground at her side. For a moment, she worried the sound was too loud but all she heard in return were the same distant hoots of night birds and squeaks of rodents.

Strangely, it wasn't all that dark. Other than the fog, there was a warm glow ever present in the healthy earth and stocky, bushy-topped trees. It was an observation that contradicted the _feel _of the place. Maybe it was just because she was alone.

That didn't last.

Her breath hitched as faint thumps became rapidly moving footsteps. Twigs snapped more often then when she had been walking and fallen leaves crumpled loud and brusquely enough to tell Katara it couldn't be Aang, who was light on his feet, nor Toph, who saw with her feet and had the confidence to wander anywhere on her own, and Sokka… well, he'd probably be grumbling to himself and be much more clumsy.

That meant this presence was an unknown. He or she could merely be a local lost in the fog like Katara had become. Or, if fate would have it, it could be a thug, some roadside bandit.

She remained quietly tense against the trunk of the tree, willing the stranger to pass by without finding her. If he or she did find her… well, she wouldn't go down without a fight.

Her pulse quickened as the footsteps grew nearer.

And nearer.

She heard a growl of frustration. It was a male's voice.

_Steady, Katara. Wait for the opportune moment. If he's aggressive… you know what to do. _

First, she saw legs march into view. Her eyes quickly traveled up and her heart seemed to stop. To her, it was in slow motion as the guy turned his head toward her and she saw into golden amber eyes.

He appeared just as shocked as she. The moment dragged on for possibly the longest moment in Katara's memory. Just one word came to mind and left her lips.

"Zuko?"

…_**to be continued. **_


End file.
